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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cats shitting in my back garden

77 replies

Murfs · 07/07/2021 13:48

Totally posting here for traffic. There are a few neighbourhood cats knocking about. We have found a few dead birds in our back garden (we feed the birds) and now im finding cat shit out there too. We have a lovely gentle lurcher who detests cats but she is generally an inside dog. She runs any cats that come in the back garden on the rare occassion she goes out the back. Any tips to keep the bloody cats away? We use our back garden with our toddler and now need to check the garden for shit or dead birds before I let my toddler out to play. We have a 6ft fence enclosing our garden and its defo not the dog shitting/killing the birds.

OP posts:
takealettermsjones · 07/07/2021 13:53

Run a search for the hundreds of threads about this. Or Google it. You can cat proof your garden, buy a deterrent, or just let your dog out more...

Conversely, you feeding the birds might be bringing more birds into the neighbourhood and causing them to shit on your neighbours' gardens. Just something to consider before feeling too hard done by!

Jeds55 · 07/07/2021 13:53

We have exactly the same problem here so have my sympathy. They shit in the back and little front garden and even found a pile outside the front door the other day. Never had this problem where lived before. Have a 3 year old dd who loves to run in garden barefoot ConfusedWatching with interest, hope you get some responses.

NextExWife · 07/07/2021 13:54

I'd stop feeding the birds. That's probably attracting the cats.

FrankButchersDickieBow · 07/07/2021 13:56

Someone will come on and ask 'are you sure it's not a fox' 😂

FrankButchersDickieBow · 07/07/2021 13:57

@NextExWife

I'd stop feeding the birds. That's probably attracting the cats.
Yes it's your fault OP 🙄
Quickchangeartiste · 07/07/2021 14:00

Try this. www.littlefieldsfarm.com/gardening/garden-maintenance/defenders-cat-dog-scatter-granules-450g

Reapply after rai . Seems to be working for me. Does not upset my dogs, but it keeps them away from the areas the cat prefers too.

Streamside · 07/07/2021 14:00

Let your dog out a bit more, they're clever animals and it'll put them off.

Quickchangeartiste · 07/07/2021 14:00

Reapply after rain !

PoorPawsPickPawpaws · 07/07/2021 14:05

@Streamside

Let your dog out a bit more, they're clever animals and it'll put them off.
Two dogs here that have lots of free access out, and no problem with cats in the back garden. Even though one dog is too slow and the other weighs 5kg and has no teeth Grin

The front border is another matter entirely...

IamnotSethRogan · 07/07/2021 14:07

Just let you dog in the garden more frequently. At least for a while so the cats learn there's a presence. Our dog is never really in the garden in winter but the many local cats still don't come as they learnt in the summer that there's a dig there

toastantea · 07/07/2021 14:09

@takealettermsjones

You can cat proof your garden, buy a deterrent, or just let your dog out more...

How do you cat proof a garden? I'm struggling with cats too. Can't use a deterrent thing that omits a sound because of the neighbours animals - I wouldn't want to upset them

Original poster
Murfs · 07/07/2021 14:13

Blush oops didn't realise there were already so many threads on this topic. Anyway yup the lurcher is on cat duty and I wil try some of the other suggestions. Regarding feeding birds we did it through winter and have a lovely diversity of bird life out there not too much bird shit about if they do they get my adjacent clothes line. The cat shit issue is a recent problem so probably a new cat in the neighbourhood. We will set it straight so

OP posts:
Original poster
Murfs · 07/07/2021 14:15

Read somewhere else where about getting a water gun which seems a little bit mean but also might be worth trying.

OP posts:
RobertsWonder · 07/07/2021 14:21

Dog wee in the garden and also man wee (especially after eating meat) will deter them - they don't like the smell of a larger male mammal apparently. I send DH out to "water the plants" a couple of times a week , and it does seem to work. Horrible having to check the garden every time the children want to go out to play.

takealettermsjones · 07/07/2021 14:21

@toastantea There are rollers you can buy for the tops of your fences, you can sprinkle granules that they don't like on the ground, you can put up netting over any beds/seedlings etc, you can get motion activated sprinklers. They might not all work for every circumstance but they can help. For OP I think the dog might be the obvious choice though!

LepersofRuggedIsland · 07/07/2021 14:24

We’ve had this. It’s revolting and really put me off cats for life. I could never get one and put my neighbours through that.

I used gravel and stones on the main toileting areas, and a spray made of lemon juice, vinegar and a sprig of Rosemary. Had to reapply it regularly but it seemed to work.

It also helps to keep areas planted. I’ve heard sticks buried in the soil work too. Hope you find something that helps.

Original poster
Murfs · 07/07/2021 14:31

Love this!! I'll send the husband out tonight to water the grassGrin

OP posts:
toastantea · 07/07/2021 14:42

[quote takealettermsjones]@toastantea There are rollers you can buy for the tops of your fences, you can sprinkle granules that they don't like on the ground, you can put up netting over any beds/seedlings etc, you can get motion activated sprinklers. They might not all work for every circumstance but they can help. For OP I think the dog might be the obvious choice though![/quote]

Thank you, I didn't know about roller things for the fence, I will definitely look into that.

hellogem · 07/07/2021 14:42

Somethings been shitting in my garden. I don't know if it's a cat or fox!!?? So
Annoying to have to check the garden before letting little one out

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/07/2021 14:48

Don’t for the love of god get an ultra sonic noise thing. Other people (usually women and children) and other peoples pets can hear them and it’d drive you potty.

Spyro1234 · 07/07/2021 15:04

Keep feeding those lovely wild birds, ignore anyone telling you not too for the sake of manky cats!

I chase any cats out of my garden. Can't offer any advice to keep them out though. So nasty that they pooh in your garden! That can be so full of disease like Toxoplasmosis.

DdraigGoch · 07/07/2021 15:12

You've got a 6ft fence but don't mention how exactly they're getting in. Are they climbing over the top, going through a gap underneath, or getting in somewhere else?

hellswelshy · 07/07/2021 15:17

@Spyro1234

Keep feeding those lovely wild birds, ignore anyone telling you not too for the sake of manky cats!

I chase any cats out of my garden. Can't offer any advice to keep them out though. So nasty that they pooh in your garden! That can be so full of disease like Toxoplasmosis.

As per, it's turned into a cat bashing thread. I feel exactly the same about dog poo on pavements and well, everywhere. My dc used to tread in it all the time when they were small. Wouldn't refer to dogs as manky though as I'm an animal lover...
Tossblanket · 07/07/2021 15:18

Sprinkler and wait by tap.

JennyTractorRiderGo · 07/07/2021 15:20

I have got a motion sensor thing attached to a hose pipe, best thing we ever bought and definitely does deter the cats as they used to trigger our cameras and now don't. They would do a circuit of our house, across the patio and down the other side of the house, now, no cats.

I am now thinking of moving it to the front garden to get the fuckers off my property once and for all.

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